this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2026
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[–] BarrelsBallot@lemmygrad.ml 60 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Looking for a partner to start a new U.S military casket business with me, expecting some high demand soon

[–] bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml 30 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Count me in, the free market demans caskets for americans.

Your too late. Hedge funds and private equity already own most of the funeral businesses in the US. Trump probably auctioned off the rights before the war even started.

[–] Carl@hexbear.net 53 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If Donnie actually tries to capture Kharg it will turn into a disaster that makes the bombed air bases and radar dishes of the past weeks look like children playing with toy rifles. These marines aren't ukrainian/russian soldiers who've spend the past couple years learning how to fight with and against drones, they're totally green on the kind of battlefield that they're being sent to.

[–] REEEEvolution@lemmygrad.ml 29 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The cryon eaters have to reach it first, the island is well behind the strait.

[–] ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Could they not travel through the Red Sea, disembark in Saudi Arabia, travel across the peninsula, and then embark again in Kuwait, Bahrain, or a Saudi port? I highly doubt the US military would funnel an invasion force through the strait.

[–] REEEEvolution@lemmygrad.ml 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

To get the southern ports of Saudi-Arabia they have to get past Yemen, propably also a bad idea.

Oman might work, but no idea if the Omani government is open for such a move.

And if they make it somehow, they'd still need landing craft, escort ships and so on. The whole thing seems impractical, but I'm a amateur what do I know. Maybe the military smarty pants have a plan.

[–] shreditdude0@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I think the military smarty pants (all whom have been sacked) would have resoundingly said "DONT DO IT!".

[–] ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 week ago

Going past Yemen seems much more manageable then going through the strait at any rate. But what do I know, I’m not a military general.

The naval bases at Qatar and Kuwait should also have the vast majority of the equipment that’s necessary, unless the plan is a full ground invasion of Iran which is a batshit insane idea.

[–] Bronstein_Tardigrade@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I highly doubt the US military would funnel an invasion force through the strait.

Your talking about people who were stupid enough to start a war with Iran, so steaming full bore into a meat grinder would seem par for the course. Trump probably figures if USans see their sailor boys getting massacred, they'll suddenly rally in support.

[–] ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Trump might be a raving lunatic, but his generals still call the shots with logistics and deployments, and I highly doubt a trained officer would be stupid enough to authorize a convoy steam full bore through the strait.

Even a blind sycophant knows that would sink their entire career.

His general staff would probably wave a few buzzwords praising trump in a shiny PowerPoint briefing with lots of pictures to distract the dumbass, and trump would nod along and agree.

[–] PanArab@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It is still a long drive, and the narrow twisty mountain roads as well as restrictions to non-Muslims around Makkah limit the capacity.

[–] ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

What twisty mountain roads? Are you aware that the Saudi Arabian peninsula is crisscrossed by a modern highway system that carves straight through the mountains? This isn’t 2005 Afghanistan. There’s also rail lines for heavier equipment.

The highway system also begins at Jeddah a major port city, and goes around Makkah, to avoid that very issue. There is no reason a US convoy would enter Makkah’s city limits.

[–] PanArab@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The طريق الهدا connects Makkah to Taif and is also used to bypass Makkah from the south.

Look it up. I've only driven through it a few times.

There is another طريق السيل الكبير which bypasses Makkah from the north it is flatter but still narrow and bendy and packed with trucks.

The road you posted I bet is somewhere in Najd, the topography looks nothing like the mountains of Hijaz.

There's no rail lines west of Riyadh except a passanger HSR connecting Makkah to Medina. Though gondolas could be an option, maybe...

[–] KrupskayaPraxis@lemmygrad.ml 39 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Psss. Hey China. You can do it now

[–] PunkMonk@lemmygrad.ml 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Could be the US is wanting them to for whatever reason though. Trump's cabinet might be idiots but they're also ruthless businessman who have done countless deals with shady tactics like baiting someone in to doing something they think is good for them but is actually not before. I don't trust it.

[–] ComradePupIvy@lemmygrad.ml 18 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

This has been a hypothesis I have been toying with, if the US is ramping up efforts to bait the PRC, I just think that there are currently simpler answers, yet I cannot rule it out either.

[–] PunkMonk@lemmygrad.ml 22 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Hopefully China sees this as a potential scenario too, I imagine that they do because if I, a moron on the internet can, a party of millions much more educated than I am should.

[–] davel@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Exactly. I’m 100% sure they see it, because I do.

Past experience shows that this logic doesn’t apply to The Donald & friends, though.

Also, previously:

I don’t think China feels a need to rush integration when they believe it’s already overdetermined, inevitable. And Taiwan isn’t going anywhere. China knows the imperialist states are in decline, having financialized/de-industrialized themselves into paper tigers. I think this war is likely to make that clear to everyone, including Taiwan’s bourgeoisie.

[–] Marat@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 week ago

I mean, why should they? The ball is an almost always has been in the rogue government's court. If they declare independence, host foreign bases, etc. Then they'll need to act, but otherwise why risk it? This might be a Bourgeois analogy, but its the difference between gambling and investment.* Gambling might bring quicker returns, but it's also high risk and never 0 risk. Perhaps you are the greatest statistician in the world. Even then, the chances of you winning much is lower than you losing much. Meanwhile an investment is safe, and gives you room to maneuver.

*Yes i know a lot of investment is gambling

[–] 201dberg@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 1 week ago

If the US wanted to bait China they'd mess with Taiwan. Start sending troops and weapons and such.

[–] coolusername@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 week ago

They have no desire to

[–] Marat@lemmygrad.ml 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Honestly the only option I think they're going to try to do is occupy the coastal islands. But even that's a stretch

[–] ghost_of_faso3@lemmygrad.ml 33 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, concentrate all of them onto one tiny Island.

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I wonder if they ever heard about Sphakteria.

[–] Ildsaye@hexbear.net 16 points 1 week ago

boots on the quagmire

[–] darkernations@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)
[–] blobii@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 week ago

Xi its free atp lock in